The potential for a breach in cybersecurity is great enough that organizations need to employ a host of methods to protect their systems from invasion.
Although specific instances might call for specific measures for security, there are broad-based steps employers can take to protect from damage caused by unthinking acts on the part of employees.
- At the Nonprofit Risk Management Center 2016 Risk Summit, Jim Jackson and Paul Henry, director of campus operations and IT and network administrator/engineer, respectively, at Momentous Institute, suggested a list of macro scale strategies to protect a system from invasion. They are:
- Enforce complex password requirements and password expiration policies for all users. Passwords should contain a minimum of eight characters including at least one number, one capital letter and one special character. Passwords should be changed at a minimum of every 90 days, preferably 45 days.
- Ensure network resources are properly controlled via the use of Access Control Lists (ACL’s).
- Use a hardened network security appliance (firewall) with a Host Intrusion Prevention System (HIPS) and an up-to-date maintenance agreement.
- Ensure all employee work stations are configured with an up-to-date SMB or Enterprise-grade antivirus client and software firewall.
- Adhere to other well-established network and computer security best practices as best as possible.
- Conduct quarterly network security self-assessment audits.